Christmas, the season of giving is just around the corner now!
The list of Christmas errands is getting shorter bit by bit, but according to our very trusted research (find the IG poll below), at least half of you should still be struggling with finding or even start thinking about THE present for your loved ones.
We often say it’s the gesture that matters, yet finding the perfect Christmas gift often comes with lengthy headaches.
On top, for us, eco-friends, turning the entire season upside down and making it sustainable, is a real challenge. We may want to strip Christmas from over-consumption, wasteful gifting practices, but even so, being eco-friendly doesn’t have to take away the joy of gifting from you.
Okay, so you’ve got your family some tried and tested sustainable products, the buy-it-for-life alternative of their obsessions and gift cards to local shops and you’re wondering, what other ways there are to be original and waste-free?
Let us add some more ideas to your list!
1. Experiences
Experiences are bomb. and make us happier than possessions. So if you’re thinking hard about that perfect Christmas gift, maybe try to think about creating memories. Get tickets to that concert, help them out with that gym membership, share a visit to an escape room, take a trip to another city, take them to a cooking class or offer a relaxing spa day.
Part ways with the idea of gift boxes wrapped in pretty (but often extremely wasteful) packaging, sitting under the tree, and offer a little bit of your time (or free up a little of their time) and gift them memories.
⚜ Offer movie vouchers w/ Kinepolis
⚜ Bring live shows to the music lover w/ Ticketmaster / Ancienne Belgique or Botanique-gift voucher
2. Digital gifts (Streaming services, online classes, e-books etc…)
Next up on the non-material gift list: digital gifts. In the age of streaming services and online entertainment who would say no to unlimited, ad-free content? Help out the music lover with a Spotify subscription, Netflix subscription will be appreciated by the series addict or try a new platform! Masterclasses are plenty online for the studious, as well as audiobooks or e-books for the book-lover of the family. What digital gift could you not say no to?
⚜ Surprise your favorite bookworm with digital reading experiences w/ Kobo
⚜ Let the music play w/ Spotify
3. Make a donation
Supporting charities and non-profits are an amazing way to be kind and do good during Christmas.
Plant a tree, adopt a panda or make a donation in someone’s name. Most charities offer the possibility for you to donate in someone else’s name or have it as a gift and even have additional goodies offered on top.
The most important thing is to find a charity whose activities are meaningful for the recipient, make sure that the recipient is comfortable with receiving this act as a gift.
⚜ Plant a tree w/ Jane Goodall Institute Belgium
⚜ Support those living in precarious circumstances w/ DoucheFLUX
⚜ Help victims of violence, natural catastrophes, and poverty w/ Caritas International Belgium
4. Ask and Tell
If we could break the habit of feeling uncomfortable asking and telling what we would appreciate, or stop expecting the ‘surprise’ element of gifting, we would save a ton of presents from being thrown in the trash.
A lot of unwanted gifts are born out of the necessity of getting the other person something, just for the sake of it. And being on the receiving end and feeling like whatever you get will just end up contributing to the clutter you already have, sucks.
Minimalism offers one of my favourite principles, a mindset switch that helps enormously with being sustainable, which could be applied to gifting as well. Only get what is essential and serves a purpose.
So?
Prepare a list. Saying no to presents will most likely get you stuff you never wanted in the first place. List things you actually want, need or replace gifting with another kind gesture (spending time together or creating a new Christmas tradition in lieu). Once you’ve prepared your list, perhaps others will be more comfortable giving you theirs, when you ask.
5. Mind the wrap
Storing physical gifts is always a tricky situation. How do you wrap it up? Which gift bag is large or small enough to store your items? How many rolls of wrapping paper to buy?
While gift wrapping is often pretty much unnecessary as it is, there are smart ways for you to keep this habit, and no longer contribute to the immense waste of wrapping papers.
Consumables can be stored in glass jars you have at home, put gifts in baskets, or try alternative ways of wrapping your Christmas gifts. Instead of traditional wrapping paper, reuse your (news)papers at home, or textiles (such as old garments, scarfs or cloth) as your new sustainable gift wrapping.
⚜ Learn Japanese Fabric Wrapping w/ Zero Waste Belgium: Furoshiki: zero waste way of gift wrapping
⚜ Zero Waste Gift Wrapping tutorial w/ Shelbi: Zero Waste Gift Wrapping Ideas » No Tape + Compostable
This festive season, we’re offering various special Christmas Packages, containing our handmade natural deodorants and lip balms.
Spoil yourself and your loved ones with a perfect holiday gift box, a gentle reminder to be kind to yourself, to others and the Earth.